Shumak: a trip to Buryatia

How should it be, the most memorable trip for a lifetime? Someone will say that it should be a cruise on a huge liner. Someone that flight by plane to the other side of the Earth. And for someone this will be a simple trip on a suburban train to the forest for mushrooms. But we will now talk about a real journey through the vastness of such an immense home country.

Journey to mineral springs

The Russian Federation is rich in natural resources. And this is not only oil, gas, uranium and other underground wealth. This is a magnificent nature, beautiful places, a trip to which is much more interesting and useful than a banal flight to the beaches of Thailand. How can you really appreciate the beauty of other countries when you have not seen all the beauties of your country?

And so, the Republic of Buryatia. More precisely, a small piece of this vast beautiful land is the Eastern Sayan. It is here that there are unique hot Shumak mineral springs. They are located at altitudes more than one and a half kilometers above sea level, in the territory of the Okinsky district of Buryatia. The surroundings of these springs will provide you with the best rest in the world.

Despite the not very high level of mineralization, the water of these springs is truly curative. The beneficial properties of the warm waters of Shumak were known even in the time of Genghis Khan. Already then these waters treated a lot of various ailments. The current list of diseases for which treatment can be applied Shumak water includes diseases of the heart and blood vessels, the gastrointestinal tract and the musculoskeletal system.

How to get there?

In the area of the hot springs of Shumak, active tourism is also developed. Travelers can choose: hiking or horse trails, Mountainous terrain, with magnificent views, there is a hiking trail. In the vicinity of Shumak there are three main routes, different in complexity and length. Relatively easy is the fifty-kilometer route through the Shumak Pass with its almost three-kilometer heights. It will take you 2-3 days, if you will walk on foot or just one day, if you go on horseback.

The longest route is from the Arshansky pass, along the banks of the rivers Kitoy and Shumak. This route is quite complicated, but how many impressions! How many beauties you will see. Your pictures will simply shake the photo world! Or do not shake, but the memories of the campaign will remain in your memory and on your photos for many years. You can get to the Shumak area by helicopter from Irkutsk in just an hour of flight.